Bunn A10 making very flat tasting coffee with no pick me up too.

[ilovesweetmarias]

Hello All Coffeeforums members,
I’m new here but was hoping that someone would please help me. I’ve had my Bunn A10 Commercial machine since new. Coffee always tasted top notch! I realized as of late the coffee brewed was flat tasting and really not doing a great job of waking me up either. So I started poking around doing some research. I measured the temperature in the inlet hole of the tank. It read 185.4. So, I figured that I’d replace the thermostat. The 2 in-line thermal fuses too because insulation looked burnt dark brown and the new in-line thermal fuse insulations was clear. Once the new thermostat & thermal fuses were installed the temperature read 197.8 F. The coffee tasted better than it was but I swear it’s not as good tasting as it was when the unit was new? I only use filtered water and I grind beans fresh with a Baratza Encore at like setting 18. I really enjoyed this machine but I don’t want to keep throwing expensive parts at it. When I could just but a new commercial Bunn or maybe try a Technivorm. I would be very gracious if somebody would lend me some of their expertise! Thank you very much.
Robert

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[JeffD]

I would check with your scale the ratio of coffee beans to water. I never trust the coffee machine gradations.

Something else I do is to tamp down (not forcefully) the grounds I put in the basket, making a nice level surface, so that the water seeps through more evenly. I haven't been scientific about it but it seems to help.

But from what you describe I am guessing for some reason the ratio of beans to water is off. I use about 16 or 17 to one.

 

[ilovesweetmarias]

Thanks Jeff I will check the grounds/water ratio. Also making the grinds level makes sense.

 

[Enigma-2]

Ever run some cleaner through the machine? (Even filtered water contains .... stuff.) Bunn recommends a mix of white vinegar with distilled water. They recommend a mixture of 1/3 vinegar and 2/3 distilled water. Then go through a full brew cycle. If you haven't been doing this, I'd try two, one right after another. Then a cycle of plain water.

(Silly question time) Do you clean your decanter after every use? (Even the faintest trace of old coffee can taint your fresh pot.)

Did you change anything? Still using Bunn paper filters? Same water? Using one tablespoon of ground coffee for one brewed cup? Fresh coffee?

 

[ilovesweetmarias]

Hey Enigma-2 you bring up a good point. I did use to run vinegar/water though my machine. I have not done this in a long time. So I will and get back to you about this.

I do wash the decanter and filter cup daily.

I do use Bunn paper filters. The water is the same. It’s filtered through a Brita filter that gets changed once the pitcher lights up red.

I use Starbuck’s whole beans and roast my own beans too. The one thing that I can say is. That when I go to Starbucks for drip brewed coffee it’s very consistent tasting. Also when I brew the same beans at home. It was not quite as good as theirs but it was very consistent like going to their stores.

I use 2 tablespoons of grinds per 6 oz. of water when using Starbucks beans or when I roast beans from Sweet Maria’s. I go through about a pound a week of whole beans.

Thank you for your help Enigma-2.